Customer reference

Otsuka Foods Co., Ltd.

Evaluation of “deliciousness” in food product development

Activity: New food products development
Context: Assess the sensory profile and shelf-life of food and beverages
Equipment: ASTREE electronic tongue with AlphaSoft
Website: https://www.otsukafoods.co.jp/

Evaluation of “deliciousness” in food product development

Otsuka Foods manufactures, markets, and imports foods and beverages. Our corporate philosophy is “Food begins with spirit, creating deliciousness, safety, peace of mind and better health.” Based on this, we propose “new foods” that contribute to enriching people’s diets by delivering innovative ideas and technology and reliable quality, including Bon Curry, the world’s first commercial retort-pouch food product.

 

Combining instrument measurement with sensory panel evaluation

Aiming to visualize and objectively evaluate the "deliciousness" of retort pouch foods and soft drinks, we considered introducing a system that could quantify taste. We decided to introduce the ASTREE electronic taste system and a sensory evaluation software, because we thought that by introducing them together, we could combine the development team's advanced sensory evaluation with the sensor response values and conduct detailed analysis suitable for research and development.

ASTREE flavor analysis data and sensory evaluation data are integrated and analyzed to differentiate flavors, examine shelf life, and visualize the "deliciousness" of foods and beverages made from different ingredients. It is also effective in quantifying not only the five basic tastes, but also the unique flavor evaluation attributes of the development professional himself/herself.
 

Future plans

One year has passed since the system was introduced, and we have become more proficient in using it. In the future, we will continue to analyze not only processed foods and beverages, but also the "deliciousness" of the ingredients themselves, and work to develop products that make the most of the rich power of natural ingredients.
 

 

Otsuka Foods laboratory and team“This combination of sensory panel and e-tongue is efficient in evaluating the food products features.”
 

Analysis Laboratory of Biwako Research Institute, Otsuka Foods Co., Ltd.